It is frequently necessary for law enforcement and security personnel to carry an intermediate force weapon on their person. The weapon of choice is an extendable tactical baton which is lightweight, easy-to-carry, may be worn at the belt of the law enforcement and security personnel, and may be quickly drawn to a ready position. An example of such a tactical baton is the ASP TACTICAL BATON manufactured by Armament Systems and Procedures, Inc., the assignee of the subject invention. The ASP baton includes one or more telescoping sections that may be retracted into a handle portion so as to provide a cylindrical retracted baton of approximately seven to twelve inches in length and about one inch in diameter. Depending on its retracted length, the baton can approximate 16-31 inches in length when extended.
Typically, a law enforcement or security officer will carry the baton on his person in its retracted condition and will draw the baton from a scabbard, alternatively termed a carrier or holster, across his body into an at-ready position. A drawing and snapping action extends the baton to its fully expanded position. The baton may be stowed in the scabbard by retracting it and replacing it in the scabbard. Baton scabbards used by security and law enforcement personnel for stowing a baton are typically designed to be carried on a belt or strap secured about the user's waist, usually externally of the user's primary clothing so that the baton is stowed in a readily accessible position.
Situations frequently occur for security and law enforcement personnel in which it is highly desirable that the baton and associated scabbard be carried in a concealed and substantially undetected manner, for example, under the officer's outer clothing such as a jacket or coat, and yet still be readily accessible for quick removal and at-ready positioning of the baton. A typical situation in which security personnel are required to carry a baton in a concealed manner is when attending a function for dignitaries where the officer's weapons must be concealed and substantially undetectable under semiformal or formal civilian clothing. Other occasions may also call for the security officer's baton and scabbard to be concealed and not readily detectable under the officer's clothing.
Baton scabbards are known that are attachable to the belts of security and law enforcement personnel for carrying a baton. However, when worn under outer clothing such as a coat or jacket, the known baton scabbards generally result in outward bulging of the outer clothing. Other baton scabbard designs that enable the baton to be carried elsewhere on the body of the law enforcement officer, such as generally on the chest or torso, allow the officer ready access and release of the baton from its scabbard but often also result in outward detectable bulging of any overlying clothing.
Thus, there is a need for a baton scabbard or carrier that can be worn by security and law enforcement personnel in such a manner that the scabbard and associate baton are concealed and substantially undetectable under the user's clothing and yet enable the baton to be readily accessed and withdrawn from the scabbard.